Ge.hen'nah is a drama set in a small rural town in Lebanon about Yvette who is past 30, unmarried, devoutly religious and still living with her parents. Today, she is preparing to go to a retreat. It's a dream come true for her. However, as the bus approaches, a fight breaks out between her parents. She tries to intercede, but her father's rage is overwhelming. Is she able to calm her father and go to the trip? How far would you go to protect your mother?

Festivals & Awards: Singapore International Film Festival, Brooklyn International Film Festival, Las Vegas Film Festival, Festival de Cine de Huesca, Sinaloa Film Festival (Mexico), International Film Festival Ireland, Santa Monica International Film Festival, Claremont Ferrand Market, Post Alley Film Festival in Seattle

Best student short at Las Vegas International Film Festival, Golden Cine Eagle Award (student, Entertainment – Drama), Silver Lei Award for Excellence in Filmmaking at the 2010 Honolulu International Film Festival

Director's statement
In my work, I investigate human behavior and I particularly emphasize on cultural behavior. In many countries, individual rights are still not decoupled from communal or domestic obligations. Ge.hen'nah addresses the topic of self-sacrifice and patriarchal domination. It focuses on the patriarchal structure of many families in Lebanon and other countries around the world. Even outside the boundary of domesticity, women are often denied an autonomous public voice or space in negotiating their gender-specific needs. The idea of equal rights is fairly new in the context of human history but artists have always pushed the liberal ideas and I certainly want to continue this trend in my work.
In Ge.hen'nah, Yvette is trapped in the house of her parents, and she does not have the right to lead the life she wants to lead. It is clearly a suppression of freedom. Moreover, Yvette relinquish her personal life and well-being for the sake of her mother and the cause.

Biblical parallel: Salome was the stepdaughter of Herod (the son of Herod the Great) and he was married to Herodias. Salome danced before Herod and her mother at the occasion of his birthday. Herod was so amazed that he swore to Salome: "Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you, up to half my kingdom" (Mark 6:23). The daughter asked her mother what she should wish and she whispered her own desire: the head of John the Baptist. And even though the king was sorry; yet for his oath's sake, he would not reject her. And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought.
In our short film, it was important to bring the biblical story into a contemporary context. Yvette sacrifices herself to protect her mother. She has to dance for her father and finally even gives her body to him so he would hold her mother in his arms.

We shot the film after almost one year of pre-production during the summer in a small rural town called Bejjeh, 30 minutes north of Beirut, Lebanon. With the help of an amazing crew, lots of enthusiasm, energy and sweat, and much support and love from the local people in Lebanon, we were able to tell this story that we felt was so important to tell.
Thanks again for everyone that contributed to this project!!

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© ge.hen'nah 2010 - designed by mauro mueller